Raspberry plant

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct red raspberry plant particularly characterized by its everbearing fruiting habit by which fruit is borne on primocanes during the first year after planting and on primocanes and floricanes during subsequent years. The plant is also distinguished by its thornlessness and its tolerance to the Pytophthera root rot species. The plant displays exceptional early cropping in spring and fall with production starting about the first of May peaking during the end of May and the first part of June. Fall production peaks from early August until mid-September. The plant is one of high yield and produces continuously from May until December. Cropping is about one month earlier than Willamette and yields are greater. A marked characteristic of the plant is the purple coloration of immature leaves along the edge and on the ridges of the corrugation when exposed to the sun. The purpling tends toward violet, diminishes in area and ultimately disappears as leaflets mature.

The present invention or discovery relates to a new and distinct varietyof red raspberry which was developed from a raspberry breeding andexperimentation program begun about 1937 in the Santa Clara Valley by myfather, Joseph M. Reiter, berry grower, and Earl V. Goldsmith, planthybridizer, both now deceased. Breeding ceased in 1953 and the testingand experimentation was abandoned a few years later.

Some of the test varieties were maintained, however, in a succession ofvery small holding plots. In spring of 1968, the holding plots whichwere mixed with a number of experimental varieties were sorted out as tovariety and the process of eliminating a number of soil borne diseaseswas commenced. This process extended over a period of years and in 1973,observations disclosed certain desirable and distinct characteristics ofthe present variety which was asexually reproduced and a testing programestablished in Watsonville under my supervision.

The accompanying drawings show specimens of the variety with fruit andfoliage in different stages of development. They were taken on aboutJuly 20, 1977 when the variety was past its peak of production. Gridlines are 5 cm. (approximately 2.5 in.) apart.

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates plant parts of the newvariety typical in size and shape, particularly showing the shape of thetorus and the development of the fruit from the green to ripe berries.Also shown is the irregularity of the berry and the uneven ripeningprocess from white to red.

FIG. 2 illustrates the fruit in its transition from bud to green berryand also shows the characteristic purpling of the stem and sepals. Theleaf is generally flat and pointed at the end.

FIG. 3 illustrates the drupelets and shows the prominent mediandepression manifested by immature fruit.

FIG. 4 illustrates typical immature leaves and the fruit stems withtheir typical purple discoloration which coloration extends to the baseof the sepals when exposed to the sun.

The new variety herein designated "Stonehurst" has displayed outstandingnovel characteristics such as (1) the everbearing fruiting habit, i.e.,fruit is borne on primocanes during the first year after planting andduring the second and subsequent years on primocanes and floricanes; (2)thornless canes, i.e., without prickles; (3) relative (as compared toWillamette and Sweetbriar) tolerance to the Pytophthera root rot speciesthat attack raspberries in the Pajaro Valley of California; (4)exceptionally early cropping on both spring and fall crops; and, (5)high yields. On my farm in Watsonville, spring production on floricanesstarts approximately May 1 and peaks during the last week of May and thefirst two weeks of June. Fall production on primocanes peaks from earlyAugust until mid-September. The spring crop generally comprises onethird of the total crop and the fall crop two thirds. There is someproduction continuously from May until December. Cropping precedes thatof the Willamette variety grown in the same field by approximately onemonth and yields throughout the course of the year exceed those ofWillamette.

Plant Description: Terminology follows that of Asa Gray, Lessons inBotany, revised edition (1901). Everbearer, bearing on primocanes andfloricanes; upright stiff canes reaching an average height by the secondyear after planting on my Watsonville farm of five to seven feet, whichis about four feet shorter than the Willamette variety in the samefield. Grown in hedgerows, the "Stonehurst" variety has a distinctlyrounded appearance.

Primocanes are upright, rigid and non-branching, light green, lighterthan the leaves, thornless, i.e., without prickles, except for slightlydeveloped, soft reddish-brown prickles at the base, extending upwardabout one fifth the length of the cane. Floricanes are light brown andbranching.

Foliage is mostly three-foliate with occasional five-foliate leaves. Theterminal leaflet is cordate, occasionally developing single lobes or onelobe on each side situated approximately midway between the base and theapex. Lobe formation ranges from mere points to independent leaflets.

Mature leaves are cress green to dark cress green (see Plate XXXI, ColorStandards and Color Nomenclature by Robert Ridgway, Washington, D.C.(1912)), rugose to corrugated, with valleys of corrugations traversed byveins. In general appearance, leaves bear a resemblance to those ofWillamette. Immature leaves that were exposed to the sun show a markedpurple coloration along the edges and on the ridges of corrugation. Onsmall recently opened leaflets about 1/2 to 3/4 inches long, the coloris burnt lake (see Plate XII, Color Standards and Color Nomenclature byRobert Ridgway, Washington, D.C. 1912). As the leaflet matures, thepurpling tends toward violet carmine (see Plate XII, Ridgway) anddiminishes in area until it is gone altogether. The burnt lakecoloration is also found on the pedicel and extends on to the base ofthe sepals on the side that is exposed to the sun.

Fruit is borne in raceme clusters, with the terminal cluster bearing sixtwo twelve berries, and subterminal clusters, typically fewer. Fruit ispartially hidden by foliage and picks easily. Fruit is rose red topomegranate purple (see Plate XII, Ridgway). The berries are smallerthan those of Willamette and larger than those of Heritage. Primaryberries are composed of 95-105 drupelets. Fruit is generally round inshape, however, the surface appearance is irregular or rough as if somedrupelets are compressed perhaps due to insufficient room on thereceptacle for all drupelets to expand fully. Drupelets have a prominentmedian depression which is particularly evident on immature fruit.

The receptacle (torus) is cylindrical at its base where sepals are drystamens remain attached, then tapers to a sharp point.

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct variety of raspberry plant hereindescribed and illustrated and identified by the characteristicsenumerated above.